Kopecky Family Band – Kids Raising Kids [album review]

A couple of years ago at SXSW, Oz and I had the following text exchange:

Oz: You ever hear of The Kopecky Family?

Woody: One or two songs. They’re solid.

Oz: They are killing it at Yard Dog.

Woody: Really?

Oz: Yes. really.

Oz: Dumbass.

And with that exchange, I went from mildly interested to intrigued. It takes one spin of their full length debut to see that Oz wasn’t just drunk on free IPA but had the astute judgement of a seasoned music journalist. Kids Raising Kids is a 40 minute jolt that namesake, Kelsey Kopecky termed, “modern, more aggressive Fleetwood Mac” sound.

That is an apt description. And after sitting through a HearYa session and seeing them live that night, you see how the six-piece connects with the crowd and takes them some place special. That ability reminded me of a band close to HearYa’s heart in The Love Language. Much like The Love Language, Kopecky Family Band has these 3 to 4 minute high energy gems that when strung together leads to a blistering live set.

Kelsey shares the lead vocals with Gabe and they feed off each other like they share the same brain. From the indie pop of lead single of Heartbeat, to the anthemic My Way to the stripped down beauty of Change there is a chemistry that is tough to ignore. It permeates through the rest of the band – Steven, Markus, David and Corey – as they make it look effortless as they are having the time of their lives.

They have been grinding it out for 5 years with primarily the same lineup. During that time, they’ve released some excellent EPs but with Kids Raising Kids – you feel as if you’re listening to something special, something that they poured their everything into. I had the same feeling when I listened to Gorilla Manor. Both are infectious and addictive; and you feel the camaraderie of the band through their music. Get on board now. These guys are going places.